Manager Thomas Tuchel has submitted to FIFA his 55-man England squad for the 2026 World Cup. The long list is not expected to be made public until the final 26 members are announced next Friday. Express Sport looked at all 51 players called up by the German coach during his international break so far to find out who may have remained on the reserve list.
With the upcoming summer tournament in Mexico, the United States and Canada, all 48 participating nations will submit a long list to FIFA from which the final 26-player squad will be selected. Star players on this list could be called up to replace shortlisted players in the event of injury or inability to participate in the World Cup. The England free agent list, like most others, is hidden from public view, but reports say it includes Danny Welbeck, Luke Shaw and Jarrad Branthwaite. Tuchel has never chosen one of this rumored trio.
A total of 51 players have been included in his senior squad since he took over in January 2025, and these past selections could provide a clue as to who has made it into the 55-man squad.
England are due to confirm their final 26 squad for the World Cup on May 22nd, with the squad to be sent to FIFA by June 1st and announced on June 2nd. Players must be selected from a longlist submitted this week.
Of the 51 players Tuchel has called up so far, some names are almost certainly on the 55-man list. This includes captain Harry Kane and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who played in nine of the 12 games he played alongside Ezri Konsa as Germany manager.
Only three players have featured more, with Morgan Rodgers playing 11 games and Declan Rice and Marcus Rashford playing 10 games against England under Tuchel. It would seem that these three have also earned the right to participate.
Jordan Henderson, Anthony Gordon and Jarrod Bowen have all played eight games since Tuchel’s arrival, while Elliott Anderson and Ebelesi Eze have played seven.
Anderson is one of nine players Tuchel has entrusted with his international debut, and will play against Andorra in September 2025. Others include Dan Byrne, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Trevor Chalobah, Jed Spence, Nico O’Reilly, Jarrell Quansah, James Trafford and James Garner.
Tuchel has called up four players to his first-team squad, but goalkeepers Jason Steele, Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale and midfielder Alex Scott are yet to receive playing time.
